River Center Makes Changes

Dungeness River Nature Center Has a New Mission, Name and Logo  

This fall the Dungeness River Audubon Center changed its name to the “Dungeness River Nature Center.” The new name reflects the River Center’s educational mission to teach children and adults about the natural environment of the Dungeness River watershed--from its head-waters in the alpine meadows of the Olympic Mountains to its estuary entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The expansion and remodel of the Center is five times larger than the original building at Railroad Bridge Park and will integrate the natural history and the S’Klallam culture of the Olympic Peninsula. 

The River Center’s partners, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, and the State and National Audubon Societies have collaborated on the new center. Powell Jones, River Center Director and Park Manager said, “Although we want to continue to be a go-to place for birds, we want visitors to come learn about the Dungeness River’s unique ecosystems and inhabitants that include salmon, mammals, insects, and plants. Additionally, we want to be a place where people come to learn about the special relationship that the Jamestown Tribe has had with this watershed for time immemorial.” Jones says. While “Audubon” has been part of the River Center’s name and logo since 1997, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has been an active partner since 1994. 

The River Center sits in the 75-acre Railroad Bridge Park, owned by the Tribe. The Tribe provides a full range of maintenance, repair, and Park and Center facilities upgrades; including caring for the historic railroad bridge that crosses the Dungeness River. “Our Tribe is very excited about this expansion of the Dungeness River Center,” says W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Chair and CEO. “The new name and logo reflect a turning of the page in this Tribal/community program’s purpose.”

“The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society will continue to sponsor and present bird-centric programs, field trips, Bird-Fest, and classes as core components of the Center’s expanded offerings,” says Ken Wiersema, OPAS President. We’re delighted to see the Pileated Woodpecker in Salish art, in the new logo. The National Audubon Society and their State office will continue to work in partnership with the Center to achieve our shared goals." said Wiersema. 

Statement By Bud Turner, logo artist of the Jamestown S’Klallam House of Myths

The Salish art form, that you see in this logo, was traditionally done through the craft of woodcarving. The Woodpecker, poised with his claws in the bark and his strong tail bracing him against the tree to carve out his nest, is at the center, encompassing most of its space. Between the Woodpecker and the tree is a long, flowing blue arc that represents the Dungeness River. 

The colors are simple but striking to the eye. [They] are warm and welcoming to the viewer, inviting all to come inside the Nature Center to explore and learn all about the complex watershed of the Dungeness River.” 

Cover photo Credit by Zach Taiji.

The Difficult Trek to Using Less Plastic

The Difficult Trek to Using Less Plastic 

Written by Lori Danielson

More than two years ago, I wrote about my journey to reduce plastics in my life. I want to reduce my contribution to the problem of plastics in the environment that kill birds and sea life, pollute land and oceans. I’ve learned that it’s probably impossible to avoid all plastic and it’s difficult to even reduce it, so there’s still a lot of plastic in my life. The pandemic made it even harder. But I thought I’d share a few of the changes I’ve made to stop buying plastic. 

Early on, I learned the best way to avoid plastic around food is to buy at farmer’s markets, locally-owned bakeries, butchers and seafood shops, bringing your own clean cloth or glass containers. They are the vendors most likely to sell unpackaged food and willing to put it into your container. So I have located my favorite local shops and buy as much as possible from them.

Finding a grocery store near you that sells food in bulk is also a good way to avoid plastic. The pandemic stopped most self-serve bulk food, but stores are starting to resume now. My own clean glass jars (with the tare weight recorded on the outside by a store clerk) or paper bags are how I transport the bulk food home, where I store it in glass containers.

I avoid single-use produce bags by bringing reusable nylon mesh or cloth bags for store-bought vegetables and fruit, and washing the bags after use. I look for things like peanut butter, mayonnaise and salad dressing packaged in glass jars or bottles. My glass jars take on a second life at home by storing many of the bulk food products or else they get recycled. I also store food in beeswax-coated cloth wraps and bags in the fridge and freezer to avoid plastic wrap and zip lock bags.

You may have deduced that I cook a lot from scratch to avoid plastic-wrapped food, and you’re right. Nearly all ready-to-eat and prepared food comes in plastic, so I made a commitment to cook more like my grandparents and great-grandparents did. It’s an important part of the effort.  

Besides food, lots of plastic enters my life from products used in the bathroom, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, floss and cosmetics, and this plastic is even more difficult to avoid. But bar soap and shampoo bars have become my new habits, as well as using silk floss and brushing my teeth without toothpaste. I know that sounds a little radical. Each of us needs to decide what is acceptable for ourselves. 

An internet search for “plastic free” or “zero waste” will result in many online stores, articles and blogs about how to reduce plastic use. I’ve found the products at etee.com and zerowastecartel.com have helped me in my journey. I’d love to hear your tips and favorites too. Write me at president@eastsideaudubon.org.

Join Climate Watch: Audubon’s New Survey

Join Climate Watch: Audubon’s New Survey

Written by Andy McCormick

Eastside Audubon is participating in Climate Watch, a new twice-a-year survey of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Spotted Towhees. The chapter sponsors four surveys in winter and summer, and we are recruiting people to join each of the teams. Contact Andy McCormick at amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org if you are interested in participating or want more information. 

The four surveys are conducted within the Eastside Audubon service area at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore, Clyde Hill, Tradition Lake in Issaquah, and Rattlesnake Lake in North Bend. Each survey consists of 5-minute counts at  each of 12 points which are at least 200 meters apart. Each survey takes about three hours to complete. Surveys by the team leaders have been conducted for the past two years and now we are looking to build teams for each of the surveys. 

The next survey will be held at the end of January with final dates being announced soon. Team leaders are Andy McCormick and Jeremy Lucas. Bird counts are tallied on eBird checklists for each point and then submitted online to National Audubon. 

The purpose of the Climate Watch surveys is to test National Audubon’s hypothesis that birds will be changing their range in winter and summer as a result of rising global temperatures, lengthening of summer, and shortening of winter. The surveys will be conducted twice annually indefinitely, much in the same way that the Christmas Bird Count provides annual data about the abundance and presence of birds. 

Contact: Andy McCormick, amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org

Teacher Grant Award for 2021-22

Teacher Grant Award for 2021-22

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

Annually the Youth Education Committee awards Teacher Grants to low-income schools on the Eastside. This year’s grant of $450.00 has been awarded to the principal of Kenmore Elementary School in the Northshore School District. Her profile on the school website describes Geetha George-Shapiro as “most proud of the connections she has made along the way with students she now calls her friends. Her work mostly in elementary schools has been rooted in equitable practices, social justice, social emotional learning, student leadership, and mindfulness.” Ms. George-Shapiro plans to use the grant money to create gardens in her school. In fact, she has already purchased some of the supplies she will need. 

Over the years, we have awarded grants to numerous schools for a variety of projects, including the following: to a secondary school for rehabilitation work on a park trail, to an elementary school for the purchase of 100 nature-themed books for fourth grade classes to share, to a middle school for a time-lapse camera and supplies for a pond study. You, the members of EAS, make all these grants possible through your generous donations. Your reward this year is knowing that these projects have inspired students to become stewards of the environment.

Photo of the Month

Photo of the Month

Dorothy Sowell is the Eastside Audubon Society’s first Photo of the Month winner for her shot of a Black-necked Stilt at Hayton Reserve in Skagit County. Other members of the EAS Photography Group tried to photograph the bird, but Dorothy was the one who was successful.

The photo was no fluke. Dorothy’s tenacity is inspiring. She never fails to present a wide selection of high-quality photos at the photography group’s monthly meeting. Her work is the result of her trips to Marymoor Park, Juanita Bay Park, American Bittern Pond, Wiley Slough, Hayton Reserve, and the Issaquah area.

Dorothy is relatively new to EAS and Puget Sound. She moved to Issaquah from Oregon in May 2020 and joined the Society a few months later. Since then, she has been a regular participant in the monthly photography group meetings on Zoom. She’s says she has learned great photography tips as well as the best places for birding from the group’s members.

The winning photo was taken on the morning of October 16 at Hayton Reserve during low tide. It was her first visit to the Skagit Valley area The photo was shot in RAW mode on a Canon Rebel T7i with a Canon EF 400 mm lens (ISO: 1000; Aperture: f/8.0; Shutter: 1/1000).

Always a lover of nature and hiking, birding has gotten more exciting for Dorothy after she purchased the telephoto lens. “Seeing details on birds and waterfowl – colors, patterns, feathers – really amazes her and enhances the birding experience,” she says.

The Photo of the Month award was instituted at this month’s meeting to recognize the great photography work of members who share their knowledge of photography and local wildlife. To attend the meeting, please join the group’s announcement list.

Black-necked Stilt by Dorothy Sowell

Christmas Bird Count, Feeder Watch, and Zoom Celebration

Christmas Bird Count, Feeder Watch, and Zoom Celebration

Written by Andy McCormick, CBC Compiler

Eastside Audubon will be conducting the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in our count circle on Saturday, December 18, 2021. As we did last year, we will conduct the count with small teams and be following the Eastside Audubon COVID-19 protocol. 

We are also recruiting people to join our CBC Feeder Watch Team and count birds at home. The only limitation is that you have to watch birds within the CBC Count Circle, which you can see below. 

Any Audubon member may join the Post-Count Zoom Celebration and review the count day activities. 

All registrations for Christmas Bird Count activities begin at https://www.eastsideaudubon.org/christmas-bird-count.

Each year our feeder watch team has been growing and we hope you will consider watching birds at your feeder and entering the total into our database to be included in the CBC total count. First, register with Eastside Audubon. Then, on Saturday, December 18, choose a two-hour period when the birds will be busiest around your feeder or yard. 

Here is how to join the EAS CBC Feeder Watch Team and count birds at home. The deadline for registrations is December 12, 2021.

1. Register with Eastside Audubon by completing the online form at https://www.eastsideaudubon.org/christmas-bird-count.

2. We will check your address to determine if your home falls within the EAS CBC Count Circle and let you know if you are eligible to be a feeder watcher. You can check the Count Circle below.

3. Feeder watchers should watch their feeders for two consecutive hours. Count the maximum number of a species you see or hear at any one time. For example, if you start watching at 7:00 a.m. and see 3 Black-capped Chickadees at 7:20, but at 8:00 a.m. you see 5, your count would be 5, not 8. In another example, if you see a Steller’s Jay at 7:10, see 2 and hear a third from a nearby tree at 8:20, and 2 more at 8:50, your count will be 3 Steller’s Jays, the most seen and/or heard at one time.

4. As soon as you can after you count birds enter the data into the Feederwatch Data Sheet online. If you cannot enter data from your computer or cell phone make a list of the birds and the highest number you saw at one time and mail them to: Eastside Audubon, P.O. Box 3115, Kirkland, WA 98083-3115, or email them to amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org.

5. Thank you for being a feeder watcher and adding the birds in your yard to the Christmas Bird Count data.

EAS COUNT CIRCLE MAP:

Photo credit by Penelope Kipps.

Owls Visit Wellington Elementary School

Owls Visit Wellington Elementary School

Written by Mary Britton-Simmons

While rain fell outside, owls were kept warm and dry inside PACE (Parents Active in Cooperative Education) second and fifth grades at Wellington Elementary in the Northshore School District. For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with owls and attributed various symbols to them: wisdom, dread, knowledge, spirit world, and even death. In fact, where I lived in Peto, Yucatan, seeing an owl meant that someone in our small Mexican village was going to die. 

Equally fascinated by owls were students in both grades at Wellington. They marveled at their extraordinary hunting behavior due to keen eyesight and remarkable hearing. They ran careful hands over the soft wing and tail feathers of the Snowy Owl, examined a Great Horned Owl egg and skull, and ended the session by listening to and then imitating owl calls. One student even raised his hand and asked me, “Who cooks for you?” A clever ending to a fun and information-packed lesson!

And finally, they became citizen scientists by examining pellets and attaching their discoveries of skulls and other bones to a chart. Excited shouts rang out: “I found a feather.” “Look at the skull hidden in my pellet.” “My parents will really like all the bones glued to my chart.”

Our last message to the students was the importance of keeping our earth safe for owls as their numbers are decreasing. Through our programs, we always hope to inspire students to be stewards of the environment and to consider science as a career. We plant seeds (or in this case, bones) and hope they sprout!

Stay Connected With Eastside Audubon’s Virtual Programs

Stay Connected With Eastside Audubon’s Virtual Programs

Written by Jeremy Lucas

The COVID-19 pandemic created a lot of challenges and also opportunities for Eastside Audubon, as it did for many other organizations.  A perfect example was how we hosted our Program Nights.  Before the pandemic, Program Nights were hosted in person.  There is, of course, a lot to be said about meeting up with your “birding family” and listening to subject matter experts as they present from a variety of environmental topics. But due to the pandemic, Eastside Audubon adapted and switched Program Nights over to virtual events.

Migrating to a virtual platform has taken away our ability to meet up and see old friends.  However, with this migration, we have been able to record and share our virtual Program Nights.  Did you know that Eastside Audubon has a Vimeo page?  You do not need to be a member to watch any of our content.  Were you looking forward to a Program Night but couldn’t make it because of your busy schedule?  Did you miss our Bellevue City Council Candidate Forum?  Do you want to see the latest presentation from the Eastside Audubon Photo Group?  Our Vimeo account has got you covered.

You can see our page here.  Do consider signing up for a Vimeo account and following our page.  If you have thoughts about what you might like to see, feel free to drop us a message.

Use Your Voice to Advocate for Birds

Use Your Voice to Advocate for Birds

Written by Adam Maxwell of Audubon Washington and Lori Danielson

The Audubon in Washington Advocacy Day is scheduled for December 7th, 2021. Audubon Washington will be working with local chapters to schedule virtual meetings with legislators that will provide the opportunity for you to join other chapter members in speaking up for the birds. No need to go to Olympia, instead we’ll talk to the legislators from the comfort of home!  Register here if you’d like to join.

Speaking to your representatives is one of the most powerful actions you can take to help steer the future of our region. The legislature meets for a short 60-day session in 2022, which means it’s even more important to take the opportunity to make sure Audubon’s priorities are top of mind before our legislators head into the new year. We’ll be looking to advance policies that support bird-friendly clean energy, Puget Sound recovery, and carbon-friendly agriculture. 

Join us in making sure our state legislators do everything they can in the upcoming legislative session to protect the places birds and people need to thrive in a changing climate.

To help you prepare, local Audubon leaders will be hosting preparatory meetings in late November and early December. Our state’s Audubon Washington office will also host sessions to go over our policy agenda and answer any questions you may have. Together we have the power to make sure our elected officials are ready to get to work in 2022, protecting birds and people, now and into the future.